Man from La Mancha
09-16-2007, 12:31 PM
Is it possible within several months to enact an amendment to have paper ballot voting witnessed my local voters when counted? I see the 15th,19th and 26th dealt with voting issues. If so how can we do it? Any idea? Can Ron indroduce the bill? Please consider this. La Mancha
From Wikipedia
With this in his mind, President Lyndon Johnson had asked Congress to propose an amendment lowering the voting age to 18 in the summer of 1968. The amendment passed through Congress when it was reintroduced by Senator Jennings Randolph in 1971, and within months passed three-fourths of the state legislatures, quicker than any other amendment. The 26th Amendment was formally certified by President Richard Nixon on July 1, 1971.
A North Carolina congressman, Jim Beatty, worked with high school students by encouraging a petition drive in 1967-1968. Tens of thousands of petitions were collected through a collaboration of student bodies throughout the United States
Congress proposed the Twenty-sixth Amendment on March 23, 1971.[1] The following states ratified the amendment:
Connecticut (March 23, 1971)
Delaware (March 23, 1971)
Minnesota (March 23, 1971)
Tennessee (March 23, 1971)
Washington (March 23, 1971)
Hawaii (March 24, 1971)
Massachusetts (March 24, 1971)
Montana (March 29, 1971)
Arkansas (March 30, 1971)
Idaho (March 30, 1971)
Iowa (March 30, 1971)
Nebraska (April 2, 1971)
New Jersey (April 3, 1971)
Kansas (April 7, 1971)
Michigan (April 7, 1971)
Alaska (April 8, 1971)
Maryland (April 8, 1971)
Indiana (April 8, 1971)
Maine (April 9, 1971)
Vermont (April 16, 1971)
Louisiana (April 17, 1971)
California (April 19, 1971)
Colorado (April 27, 1971)
Pennsylvania (April 27, 1971)
Texas (April 27, 1971)
South Carolina (April 28, 1971)
West Virginia (April 28, 1971)
New Hampshire (May 13, 1971)
Arizona (May 14, 1971)
Rhode Island (May 27, 1971)
New York (June 2, 1971)
Oregon (June 4, 1971)
Missouri (June 14, 1971)
Wisconsin (June 22, 1971)
Illinois (June 29, 1971)
Alabama (June 30, 1971)
Ohio (June 30, 1971)
North Carolina (July 1, 1971)
Oklahoma (July 1, 1971)
Ratification was completed on July 1, 1971.
The Amendment Process
There are essentially two ways spelled out in the Constitution for how to propose an amendment. One has never been used.
The first method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states. This is the route taken by all current amendments. Because of some long outstanding amendments, such as the 27th, Congress will normally put a time limit (typically seven years) for the bill to be approved as an amendment (for example, see the 21st and 22nd).
The second method prescribed is for a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the legislatures of the States, and for that Convention to propose one or more amendments. These amendments are then sent to the states to be approved by three-fourths of the legislatures or conventions. This route has never been taken, and there is discussion in political science circles about just how such a convention would be convened, and what kind of changes it would bring about.
Regardless of which of the two proposal routes is taken, the amendment must be ratified, or approved, by three-fourths of states. There are two ways to do this, too. The text of the amendment may specify whether the bill must be passed by the state legislatures or by a state convention. See the Ratification Convention Page for a discussion of the make up of a convention. Amendments are sent to the legislatures of the states by default. Only one amendment, the 21st, specified a convention. In any case, passage by the legislature or convention is by simple majority.
The Constitution, then, spells out four paths for an amendment:
Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions (never used)
Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures (never used)
Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions (used once)
Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures (used all other times)
It is interesting to note that at no point does the President have a role in the formal amendment process (though he would be free to make his opinion known). He cannot veto an amendment proposal, nor a ratification. This point is clear in Article 5, and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v Virginia (3 USC 378 [1798]):
The negative of the President applies only to the ordinary cases of legislation: He has nothing to do with the proposition, or adoption, of amendments to the Constitution.
from..http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html#process
.
From Wikipedia
With this in his mind, President Lyndon Johnson had asked Congress to propose an amendment lowering the voting age to 18 in the summer of 1968. The amendment passed through Congress when it was reintroduced by Senator Jennings Randolph in 1971, and within months passed three-fourths of the state legislatures, quicker than any other amendment. The 26th Amendment was formally certified by President Richard Nixon on July 1, 1971.
A North Carolina congressman, Jim Beatty, worked with high school students by encouraging a petition drive in 1967-1968. Tens of thousands of petitions were collected through a collaboration of student bodies throughout the United States
Congress proposed the Twenty-sixth Amendment on March 23, 1971.[1] The following states ratified the amendment:
Connecticut (March 23, 1971)
Delaware (March 23, 1971)
Minnesota (March 23, 1971)
Tennessee (March 23, 1971)
Washington (March 23, 1971)
Hawaii (March 24, 1971)
Massachusetts (March 24, 1971)
Montana (March 29, 1971)
Arkansas (March 30, 1971)
Idaho (March 30, 1971)
Iowa (March 30, 1971)
Nebraska (April 2, 1971)
New Jersey (April 3, 1971)
Kansas (April 7, 1971)
Michigan (April 7, 1971)
Alaska (April 8, 1971)
Maryland (April 8, 1971)
Indiana (April 8, 1971)
Maine (April 9, 1971)
Vermont (April 16, 1971)
Louisiana (April 17, 1971)
California (April 19, 1971)
Colorado (April 27, 1971)
Pennsylvania (April 27, 1971)
Texas (April 27, 1971)
South Carolina (April 28, 1971)
West Virginia (April 28, 1971)
New Hampshire (May 13, 1971)
Arizona (May 14, 1971)
Rhode Island (May 27, 1971)
New York (June 2, 1971)
Oregon (June 4, 1971)
Missouri (June 14, 1971)
Wisconsin (June 22, 1971)
Illinois (June 29, 1971)
Alabama (June 30, 1971)
Ohio (June 30, 1971)
North Carolina (July 1, 1971)
Oklahoma (July 1, 1971)
Ratification was completed on July 1, 1971.
The Amendment Process
There are essentially two ways spelled out in the Constitution for how to propose an amendment. One has never been used.
The first method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states. This is the route taken by all current amendments. Because of some long outstanding amendments, such as the 27th, Congress will normally put a time limit (typically seven years) for the bill to be approved as an amendment (for example, see the 21st and 22nd).
The second method prescribed is for a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the legislatures of the States, and for that Convention to propose one or more amendments. These amendments are then sent to the states to be approved by three-fourths of the legislatures or conventions. This route has never been taken, and there is discussion in political science circles about just how such a convention would be convened, and what kind of changes it would bring about.
Regardless of which of the two proposal routes is taken, the amendment must be ratified, or approved, by three-fourths of states. There are two ways to do this, too. The text of the amendment may specify whether the bill must be passed by the state legislatures or by a state convention. See the Ratification Convention Page for a discussion of the make up of a convention. Amendments are sent to the legislatures of the states by default. Only one amendment, the 21st, specified a convention. In any case, passage by the legislature or convention is by simple majority.
The Constitution, then, spells out four paths for an amendment:
Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions (never used)
Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures (never used)
Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions (used once)
Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures (used all other times)
It is interesting to note that at no point does the President have a role in the formal amendment process (though he would be free to make his opinion known). He cannot veto an amendment proposal, nor a ratification. This point is clear in Article 5, and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v Virginia (3 USC 378 [1798]):
The negative of the President applies only to the ordinary cases of legislation: He has nothing to do with the proposition, or adoption, of amendments to the Constitution.
from..http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html#process
.